Retainer device for telephone sets



Get. 24, 1933. 0, R JUDSON 1,932,109

RETAINER DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE SETS Filed April 26. 1932 Patented Oct.24, 1933 LUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates toimprovements in retainer-means for telephone sets of both the standardtype having the receiver element separatel from the transmitter elementand of what is known as the French type in which both the transmitterandreceiver are contained in a single element and adapted to besupported on a. stand.

While the invention is applicable to such sets whether or not used forautomatic systems, it is particularly adapted for the desk sets used inconnection with automatic systems, or in other Words, such as areequipped with dials to be operated by the individual using thetelephone.

Telephone sets having dialing mechanism applied thereto are at timesexceedingly inconvenient to operate unless one hand is used to hold thetelephone set in place, while dialing with the other, especially whensupported on a desk, table, or the like. When not so held, telephonesets tend to slide over the surface of the desk, table, or other objecton which it rests, causing inconvenience to the operator, and in a busyplace of business having a desk laden with papers of various kinds,oftentimes sliding about and causing the papers to be slid from thedesk, or even the telephone set itself.

In various business places, especially such as have records stored inles, ille-room clerks are called up from 'various departments forinformation on dilerent subjects, and as the files occupy considerablelioor space, it is necessary for the file clerk to report his findingsover a telephone at a distant point.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide the telephone set to whichmy improved retainer is attached with a long cord so that it can bemoved about from le to le and be retained on the file case of which thecontents are being examined, on any adjacent le case, on slides withwhich the file cases may be equipped, or on an adjacent Wall, so that`it will be at hand at the points of searching the records, regardlessof Where they may be located within a file room, thus making itunnecessary for the file clerk to step away from upon a. desk, table orthe like, so as to enable it to be moved about when desired.

A further object of my invention is the provision of retainer means,which necessitates the use only of pressure in order to secure thetelephone set to a surface whether horizontal, vertical, or otherwisedisposed, and the exercise of a pulling strain to disengage it from suchsurface.

With the above and other objects in view to appear hereinafter, myinvention consists in the e5 novel features of construction and in thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described andmore particularhr pointed out the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a telephone set, generally referred toas the French type, equipped with dialing mechanism, and to which myimproved invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through my improved retainer device,taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, the lower portion of the telephone set beingshown in elevation in connection therewith; the Whole being in aposition of use.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3, the adjacentportion of the telephone set being shown in elevation; this figure alsoshowing the device in a position of use.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the two 35 parts of the bodyportion of telephone set retainer.

Although I have shown my invention as applied to a French type telephoneset, it will be apparent that this type, as Well as the standard type oftelephone set, has an enlarged base, to the under side of which myimproved retainer is applied, the base in either case being usuallyprovided at the bottom with a felt facing to prevent scratching of thedesk, table, or the like on which it rests.

In the particular application of my invention as shown in the drawing, 6ldesignates the desk stand or pedestal which is hollow and has a dialingmechanism 7 applied to the base thereof, within this stand, suitablemechanism, which may be conveniently referred to as "control mechanism,is arranged, and this is operatively connected with the dialingmechanism, as will be understood. A cradle 8 having upstanding retainerarms 9 is positioned at the upper end of the stand, and the combinedtransmitter and receiver 10 is placed upon this cradle between theupstanding arms thereof; the weight of the combined transmitter andreceiver, which may be referred to as a hand telephone, actuatingsuitable mechanism within the stand, as will be apparent.

'I'he telephone set so constructed is comparatively light and is easilymoved about on the surface of a desk or thev like, and consequently whendialing to call over the telephone, the telephone set shifts easilyabout unless held in position with one hand while dialing with theother. The standard sets vary considerably in weight, but do not differmaterially at their lower ends from the French sets.

It has also been found that even the heaviest standard sets move aboutfreely while dialing. To avoid this, and also to permit of positioningeither the French type or the standard type against a vertical orinclined surface, I have provided what may be termed push and pullretainer means, consisting of two clamping elements 11, which inpreferred form are of V- formation and may be exact counterparts,capable of being stamped out of sheet material. A single die thereforecan serve to produce both clamping elements.

'I'hese clamping elements constitute the body portion of the device andeach comprises two outwardly diverging arms 12 connected together attheir inner ends, as at 13, and provided at their inner ends withdepending flanges 14. To reduce weight, these arms are slightly narrowedbetween their ends and have their outer ends bent or curved upwardly andslightly inwardly to form clamping jaws 15. The two clamping elementsare applied to the under side of the desk stand or pedestal in anopposite manner so that the depending flanges 14 thereof are inopposition and preferably spaced slightly apart.

'I'he diverging arms, when considered with relation to the circular faceof the base against which they bear, may be referred to as radiatingarms, and the jaws 15 at the outer ends engage and slightly embrace theperipheral edge of the base. The ends of the clamping elements havingthe depending flanges 14 may therefore be referred to as the inner endsof the clamping elements, and these inner ends are connected together bymeans of a screw 16 passed through one of the depending flanges 14 andthreaded into the other. Upon tightening this screw, the two clampingelements are drawn together and the jaws at the outer ends of the armsthereof are tightened against the peripheral portion of the base. Due tothese jaws being directed upwardly and inwardly, the possibility ofdisengagement from the base is prevented by any downward pull upon theretainer, or upward pull upon the desk set.

Near the outer ends of the arms, suction cups 17 are secured, thesuction cups. being formed of soft rubber and are preferably of circularformation with thin outer edges. They may be feathered if desired, orotherwise arranged to have a one-line bearing area. Each of thesesuction cups has a screw 18molded therein, the screw being provided witha head 19 fully embedded in the rubber of the cup and a shank 20 partlywithin the rubber of the cup and partly extending outwardly therefrom,the outwardly-extending portion being threaded into an arm 12, as

' clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

When the two clamping elements or members of the retainer device aretightened against the base of the desk set by means of the screw 16, thebase of the desk set has firm support on the four radiating arms 12 ofthe device or, as it may be expressed, the device has rigid connectionwith the base of the desk set. Pressure applied to the desk set in adownward direction will cause the suction cups to adhere to the surfaceof a desk or the like and prevent its moving about. Therefore, whentelephoning, the desk set may be conveniently positioned on the desk,and by pressing downwardly thereon, it will be retained in suchposition, thus leaving one hand free for use while dialing with theother, without any possibility of the desk set moving from its position.

Assuming a large number of file cases to be arranged along a wall in afile room, and it is desired to impart information to distant pointswhile looking up records or notations of various kinds, a long cord onlyis required to enable the desk set to be moved to any desired ille case,where it may be pressed against a wall, or against the front of a drawerin the 111e case or a drawer in an adjacent le case. The two hands ofthe clerk will be available for looking up the records in the file caseand the information desired may be conveyed over the telephone withoutmoving away from the file case. An outward pull on the desk set awayfrom the wall or the drawer of the file case will release the telephoneset so that the clerk may move to another file and have the telephonehandy at all times. Thus it will be seen that the telephone may be movedabout by the le clerk to any point where he is to be engaged, andinformation telephoned to distant points without necessitating thecarrying of records to a distant telephone to impart such information;thereby conserving much energy and saving considerable time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephoneset, comprising two V- shaped members lying against the under side ofthe telephone set, means for adjustably connecting said V-shaped memberstogether, said V- shaped members having means to retain the telephoneset thereon, and suction cups on said V- shaped members adapted toretain the telephone set in a fixed position on a desk or other surface.

2. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephoneset, comprising two V- shaped members formed of sheet metal and havingtheir flat sides bearing against the under side of the base of thetelephone set, said V-shaped members having depending iianges at theirinner ends and upstanding jaws at their outer ends adapted to engage theedge of said base, a screw for connecting said depending flanges anddrawing said V-shaped members together, and a suction cup applied toeach of said V-shaped members.

3. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephoneset, comprising two V- shaped members formed of sheet metal and havingtheir flat sides bearing against the under side of the base of thetelephone set, each of said V-shaped members comprising two radial armsconnected together at their inner ends and having an angular flange atits inner end and means for securing the telephone thereto at the outerends of said arms, a screw passed through said angular iianges to drawsaid V-shaped members together, and suction cups applied to said armsnear the outer ends thereof.

4. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephoneset, comprising two V-shaped members formed of sheet metal and havingtheir iiat sides bearing against the under suction cups applied to saidarms near the outer ends thereof, each of said suction cups having ascrew partly molded therein and partly extending therefrom, theextending portion of the screw oi.' each suction cup being threaded intoone of said arms.

OWEN R. JUDSON.

